


Tune to You

by Piano



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Musicians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:07:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24671317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piano/pseuds/Piano
Summary: Cloud Strife had once been a darling of the classical music world until he suddenly and without explanation retired and disappeared from public life. He had been satisfied with staying away from music entirely until, one day, he stepped into the Seventh Heaven bar and caught a performance by AVALANCHE and their charismatic front man, Zack.AU where Zack is a guitarist and singer for the band AVALANCHE and Cloud is a classical pianist.
Relationships: Zack Fair/Cloud Strife
Comments: 16
Kudos: 159





	1. First Beat

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, Piano's back on the AU train again! This AU idea comes from Loro (@Mureharts on twitter) so check out their great Clack (and other) art :Db

It was a normal, busy night at the Seventh Heaven Bar. White and blue collar workers alike had swarmed in for a post-work drink (or two) while some were just looking for a reason not to head home. Like most places in the big city of Midgar, there were times where it could get rowdy but it wasn’t anything the staff couldn’t handle. 

“And something strong and bitter for the mister.” The girl tending the bar smiled as she set a drink in front of the blonde man in front of her. 

The girl, Aerith, stared at the blonde man inquisitively as he took the drink with a mumbled “Thanks”. He pulled the collar of his jacket up a little further, as if to block out the noise from the other bar patrons and noticed that she was staring a little long for his liking.

“…Is something wrong?” He asked, unsure why he suddenly began to feel nervous. He had never seen the girl before but she was staring at him like she recognized him.

Realizing she was caught, Aerith quickly waved his suspicion away. “Oh it’s nothing, don’t worry about it!” She smiled again, folding her hands behind her back. “I was just about to say that we’re getting ready to set up for the show.” She gestured at the stage a few feet away from them, slightly raised from the floor so that the rest of bar could get a decent view. “I’m going to be singing with Avalanche tonight so don’t leave before you get to see us on stage!”

Cloud grimaced and glanced to the side, trying to avoid her straightforward gaze. “I, uh…” He cleared his throat. “It’s getting kinda late, so…”

“Nope!” She interrupted, nearly making him spill his drink in surprise. “That’s not gonna work. I’m definitely not taking any lame answers like that, Mister. You’re going to watch the show and have fun, got it?” 

“But—”

Before Cloud could try and reason with her, Aerith was gone from the bar with a smile and a wave, causing Cloud to let out a sigh.

_Well, I guess I can listen to one song while I finish this…_ He thought in resignation. 

He sipped his drink as he watched the stage get set up. It seemed pretty standard from his experience, with someone on the drums, bass and electric guitar and, of course, the bartender girl getting up on the microphone. 

Cloud sighed again as he took another drink. Maybe if he was lucky, they would only burst one of his ear drums.

“All right, everybody!” An enthusiastic voice called over the microphone. Cloud glanced up to see a tall black-haired man with the electric guitar slung over his shoulder stepping up to the front of the stage. He grinned at the crowd as they applauded in response and began to chant the band’s name as he tuned up. It seemed like most everyone here except Cloud knew them. 

Still, he couldn’t take his eyes off of the dark-haired man. There was something about him, his charisma, that instantly drew his attention. 

“So who’s ready for some music?!” The crowd cheered in response and the man’s smile grew wider. “Then let’s get it started!” 

The sound of music soon filled the air and Cloud continued to stare, to listen, his eyes and ears focused on the sounds coming from the man’s guitar and how they blended perfectly with his vibrant, melodic voice. 

He was spellbound. 

After the concert had finished, Aerith bounced back to her position behind the bar. 

“Thanks everybody, we’ll be here tomorrow night too, same time and place!” The man called over the applause from the audience. 

“Hey Mister, did you—” Aerith stopped when she saw Cloud’s empty stool and drained glass. “Oh, he left…” She began in disappointment but quickly reversed course when she went to clean up his glass and saw a healthy 200 gil tip underneath. 

“Well, I guess he had fun after all.” She said with a wry smile. 

Aerith had difficulty hiding that smile whenever Cloud would come back and, without saying anything much besides his order and a short ‘Thank you’ when it was brought to him, would still spend the entire time staring Avalanche as if in a trance, barely touching his drink until the end. Even after Aerith had craftily pointed out the band-specific tip jar, he still was consistent with her tips too. 

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mister! Avalanche isn’t playing tonight. One of the band members had to call off sick.” Aerith called to Cloud just as he went to sit down at the bar. He gave a visible twitch of embarrassment before shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat and looking off to the side. 

“…I’m not coming to see them specifically. I just need to relax after work.” He mumbled.

“Hmmm, well!” Aerith practically glided in front of him, leaning her arms on the bar with a barely repressed smirk. “One of the band members is here hanging out, though. You want me to convince him to put on a solo performance?”

“I already told you, I’m not—”

“It’s Zack! You know, the leader on the guitar? He can play acoustic too, so it wouldn’t be a problem!”

Cloud stopped short, his eyes widening slightly at the prospect. He immediately tried to shift his face back into neutral but it was too late; Aerith already had a knowing grin on her face.

“Hold on, let me go ask him.” Aerith winked before turning and disappearing into the back. Cloud shifted uncomfortably, torn between the pure embarrassment of it all and the excitement and anticipation of the chance to hear a special performance like this. Even though he sounded good with the band, an acoustic performance would let the man’s voice stand out even more, a prospect that had Cloud tapping his fingers against the table in anticipation. 

Just as Cloud was getting lost in the fantasy, that voice suddenly echoed into the microphone. 

“Hey there everybody!” 

Cloud’s head whipped up to see the man, Zack, shifting onto a stool onstage and adjusting the microphone. He was smiling good naturedly, though there was a look of slight embarrassment that made it all the more charming. 

“Heh, seems like I got a request from the crowd for a little solo performance.” Zack’s eyes scanned ahead of him and Cloud suddenly became very interested in staring at the bottom of his glass. He didn’t dare stare up to see if Zack was looking right at him but he could feel his ears burning as if he was. 

“Anyway…!” Zack shifted the guitar, playing a few tentative notes to tune before strumming a chord. “Hope you all don’t mind indulging in a song or two I wrote just for this sort of occasion.” The crowed clapped in response, a few cheers making Zack’s grin widen. Cloud managed to tear his gaze away from his drink so that he could indulge in the way that Zack’s blue eyes sparkled as he began to sing, his strong voice even more beautiful now that it was set against the soft notes of the acoustic guitar.

His voice, the way he sang and played…Cloud would be okay with spending all of his extra tips from work here if it meant he could hear him play like that every night.

***

“Hey Zack, good job up there!” Aerith hopped up onto the stage just as Zack was clicking the microphone off. 

“Heh, thanks, it’s been a while since I’ve done a solo performance so I was kinda nervous.” He grinned. “But it was fun! So who was it that wanted to hear it, anyway? You were all secretive when you asked me to do it so now I’m even more curious.”

“Hm, I wonder…should I tell you?” She tapped her chin with a mischievous smile. 

“Aw whatever, keep your secrets.” He started to wave her off but was stopped as she grabbed his arm. 

“Oh stop pouting already! Come here and I’ll show you.” She roughly pulled him off to the side, shushing him when he started to protest. “Haven’t you noticed how one of the customers comes in every night you guys are performing? He usually sits right…there.” She whispered, nodding in Cloud’s direction. Zack blinked and glanced over, taking notice of the blonde sipping his drink by himself in the corner. 

“Oh yeah…I think I’ve seen him. That hair definitely gives him away.”

“Like you’re one to talk! Anyway, he’s basically the best tipper we have! Always something for me and, more importantly, for you guys too. He always orders pretty cheap drinks so I doubt he’s loaded…but he still tips really well every time.”

Zack’s eyes widened slightly. “I noticed that we’d been making more than usual lately, I thought it was cuz Seventh Heaven was getting more business or something. Are you sure it’s him though? I’ve never seen him come up to the stage…”

“He just waits until you’re not looking— Ssh! Stop being so obvious!” Aerith grabbed Zack’s chin and turned it away from Cloud’s direction. “Just pretend you’re in deep conversation with me or something and wait a few minutes.”

“Okay, okay! Jeeze…”

After a few moments, Aerith whispered with glee “There! Look, out of the corner of your eye…” 

Trying to be less obvious this time, Zack glanced over his shoulder to see the man Aerith pointed out earlier slinking over to the tip jar at the front of the stage and, faster than Zack had seen before, whipped out his wallet, stuffed a few bills into the jar and practically ran back to his seat at the bar. 

“Well I’ll be damned…” Zack smiled and looked back at Aerith. “It really is him, huh? I’ll have to thank him!”

“Well you’ll have to be quick about it, he’s usually out of here too fast for me to— Oh damn it, there he goes.” 

Zack quickly turned around to see the seat now vacant with some cash left under the empty glass. “Jeeze, that was fast!” He put his hands on his hips, determination growing. “Next time though…I’ll get him before we get on stage!”

The first few nights Zack tried he ended up getting distracted both before and after going on stage and, by the time he went to look for the mysterious blonde, he was gone. After the fourth night he managed to catch a glance of him just as he was sitting down and made an immediate beeline for him. Zack was pretty sure he unintentionally gave the blonde a heart attack when he leapt into the seat next to him.

“Hey! I finally caught you!”

The blonde stared at him in shock and Zack coughed awkwardly “Hahaha…sorry, that sounded really bad, huh?” He rubbed the back of his head, giving the man a sheepish grin. “Sorry, it’s not anything weird I swear, I just wanted to come over and thank you!”

The blonde seemed to finally find his voice. “…Thank…me?”

“Yeah! You’ve been giving those really nice tips for the past few weeks, right?” He tilted his head with a grin. “I really appreciate it, man! Here, let me buy you a drink as thanks!”

The blonde flushed in response. “You don’t—!” 

“Hey, Aerith! Get this guy what he usually orders and put it on my tab, all right? …Oh! And a rum and coke too, please!”

“All right, just make sure to pay your tab on time this month, Zack!” Aerith called from across the bar. Before Cloud could sputter out more arguments, she had already poured the drinks out and had them set in front of the two of them. 

“Cheers!” Zack held his drink up cheerfully before taking a drink and, now resigned to his fate, Cloud took a sip of his as well. “Sorry, sorry, I almost forgot! My name’s Zack.” He offered cheerfully. “And you’re…?”

“…Cloud.” He glanced to the side, fidgeting slightly under Zack’s gaze. “And you really didn’t have to treat me. It’s not like I was expecting a reward for giving you a few gil here and there…”

“Hey, every little bit counts, especially here in Midgar.” He leaned over, taking notice of Cloud’s work jacket, the ‘Choco Delivery’ logo plain for him to see. “I mean, I’m sure you’re not exactly making the big bucks working for a delivery company, right?” He held his hands up warily as Cloud shot him a glare. “Hey, hey, I’m not judging! Hell knows everyone in the band is working at least one extra job on the side just to pay rent. It just makes your tipping all the more appreciated, so even though you didn’t ask, I wanted to do something extra to say thanks!” 

Cloud glanced back at his drink, some of his initial defensiveness starting to fade. “Hm. Everyone in the band, huh? So you’ve got a second job too?” 

“Yup! I work in construction.” Zack tilted his head with a grin. “That’s how I ended up meeting Wedge and getting this whole thing started. Right now it’s a side gig for us but we’re aiming to get a record deal! I mean everybody says if you can make it here in Midgar you can make it anywhere. So we’re definitely gonna make it and hit the big time, baby!” Zack stood up with enthusiasm, practically shouting near the end but then quickly sat down when he realized half the bar was staring at him. “Heheh…But for now, we’ve at least got a consistent gig playing here.”

Zack looked back at him and Cloud did his best to quickly hide his amused expression by taking a sip of his drink. “Well…good luck with that.” He paused, realizing that he had unintentionally sounded more sarcastic than he meant. “I mean—” He hesitated again, mentally cursing himself and his inability to carry on a normal conversation. “You guys sound good. So…keep at it.” He finished awkwardly. 

Zack’s smile only brightened. “Thanks! Heh, you know, half the time when people tell us that I’m wondering if they’re putting me on but…” He leaned in slightly and Cloud found himself staring into the other’s eyes. “For some reason hearing you say that makes me feel like twenty times more motivated.”

Cloud glanced away again, trying to hide his slightly flushed expression. “Look, I’m just a guy trying to make it through the day here. Don’t take whatever I say too seriously.”

Zack laughed and clapped a hand on Cloud’s shoulder, the force of it nearly making him drop his drink on the ground. “True, but I appreciate it anyway! I gotta go start getting ready but I’ll see you around, yeah?” He smiled and Cloud could only stare in response before looking away and giving a quick nod. 

“Yeah…” He then muttered something that sounded like ‘Break a leg tonight’ but it was so soft and half-mumbled that Zack wondered if he was hearing things.

Despite the man’s awkward nature, there was a gentle sincerity there that had Zack practically slumping in disappointment when he found that he was gone immediately after Avalanche’s performance. “Man he really booked it out of here, huh? Damn…” He sat down at the bar, looking at the freshly placed cash underneath Cloud’s drained glass. “Looks like I just missed him too.”

Aerith laughed as she cleaned a glass. “What did I tell you? He always leaves after you guys are done so you gotta be quick if you want to catch him. But anyway!” Aerith put the newly cleaned glass down and went over to Zack, pulling her cell phone out of her pocket. “When he first came in here I knew I had recognized him from somewhere but I couldn’t put my finger on it until now. But I finally remembered!”

After a few quick swipes of her screen she turned her phone around so that it was facing Zack, who rested his elbows on the table as he leaned in to get a better look. “I’ve been following Tifa Lockheart for years…you know, the famous concert pianist? Anyway! I finally realized that’s where I recognized him from. The two used to perform together! See?” She opened up a video which showed Cloud, the same one that Zack had just talked to earlier, on a rather impressive looking stage in front of a piano. “He was a rising star just like her but suddenly retired last year without much of an announcement or anything. It was kind of a scandal—Hey!” Aerith balked as Zack snatched her phone away from her and immediately began playing the video. 

“Wow…” Zack’s eyes were locked on the screen, entranced by what he saw: There was Cloud all right, playing some of the most beautiful music he had ever heard. “He’s amazing.” Zack stared at Cloud’s face, the same one that had seemed so defensive and shy before, completely at peace and enraptured in the music as he played. “He’s really amazing…” 

Aerith sighed in amusement as Zack watched another video of Cloud’s performance and then another, looking even more absorbed with each one. Unbeknownst to him, one of his bandmates was sneaking up behind him to stare at the screen over his shoulder. 

“Wow, what a face!” Zack jumped as Jessie’s voice rang next to his ear. “Kinda makes me wonder what kind of faces he would make in bed...” She smirked.

“Jessie!” Zack whirled around and the girl scurried away with a wink before Zack could catch her. “Come back here—Hey!” He flailed, giving Aerith the chance to grab her phone back as her laughter rang along with Jessie’s. 

Elsewhere, Cloud felt a lingering sense of embarrassment from his earlier conversation with Zack, even as he took the train back home. _God I’m such an idiot…_ He sighed. _I doubt he’ll wanna talk to me after that…though at least that means I won’t have to make a fool of myself again_

The next night, Zack immediately came up to Cloud the moment he entered the bar. 

“I knew it!” He cried out enthusiastically, causing Cloud to lean back in response”

“I…what?” He started, still trying to get his brain to catch up with what was happening.

“I knew I was getting good vibes from you…It’s cuz you’re a musician too! You understand the music! Jeeze, why didn’t you say anything!?”

Cloud went pale as a cold, familiar weight dropped into the pit of his stomach and he stayed silent.


	2. By Ear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Cloud's secret is out, Zack has a request to make.

Zack wasn’t sure what he had been expecting when he had suddenly blundered up to Cloud but he was so excited that he couldn’t help himself. The images of Cloud playing, the sound of his music was still so fresh in his mind that he felt giddy every time he thought about it. 

His excitement began to dampen, however, as he saw Cloud’s expression visibly darken. After a few seconds of silence so oppressive that even Zack felt himself becoming uncomfortable, Cloud looked away, his eyes darting between the door and the bar as if trying to plan an escape. 

“Hey…you okay?” Zack tilted his head slightly. “Did I say something wrong? That **was** you that I saw in those videos, right? The ones of you playing the piano?”

Cloud let out a long sigh and, seeming to resign himself to having to deal with the situation at hand, slumped over to the bar with Zack following immediately after. “Yeah…I guess it was.”

“You guess?” Zack let out a disbelieving huff. “Of course it was you! Like I said, I knew that I could sense good vibes from you when we were talking yesterday. So the fact that you’re an artist like that totally makes sense!” Zack quickly took a seat next to him. Cloud, despite his sullen expression, made no attempt to stop him. 

“Yeah, well…I quit a while ago.” He shifted uncomfortably. “So I don’t think I’ve got enough of those ‘good vibes’ to really make a difference at this point.” Cloud glanced over at Zack for the briefest of moments before once again becoming overwhelmed by his earnest expression and was forced to look away. “Like I said…I’m just like any other guy trying to make it through the day.”

“Hm…” Zack leaned back slightly as he studied Cloud, tilting his head from side to side as Cloud could see the wheels visibly turning in his head. “Yeah, about that…I still don’t get it. Aerith told me that you retired last year but—!” He slammed his hands on the table for emphasis, making Cloud jump slightly in surprise. “Why would you stop? I mean, you looked really happy playing and sounded amazing, so…” Zack sat back again, scratching the back of his head with a slight frown. “Why would you quit like that?” 

Cloud stared hard at the bar, as if memorizing each and every worn grain on the wood was going to make the man next to him suddenly stop being so annoyingly inquisitive. Even after almost half a minute of trying, however, it didn’t seem to be working as Zack was still staring at him in curiosity. 

Cloud shot him a half-hearted glare. “Not that it’s your business but I just got…sick of it. I didn’t feel like it anymore.” He said curtly. “And that’s it.”

Zack crossed his arms and tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. “…Really?”

Cloud had to look away again, feeling too much like he was being laid bare in front of the darker haired man’s earnest gaze. “…Really.”

“Huh…okay then.” Sensing that he was about to press him too hard if he continued, Zack decided to let it go for now and offered the other man a smile to try and ease the tension. “Well, anyway! Even if you gave it up, you’re still about ten thousand times than I could ever be at piano.” He stretched his arms upwards with a light groan. “I mean I’ve tried to teach myself but it’s never really worked out too well...Guitar came a lot easier to me, you know?” 

He whirled around to face Cloud again, causing the other to lean away from him in response. “But! If I had someone amazing like you to teach me, I’m sure I could get better in no time!”

Cloud leaned back even further, nearly falling off the barstool in shock and disbelief. “Hey, I…What?!”

Zack grinned in response. “You heard me. It’s like destiny, you know? I’ve been thinking for the past couple months that we needed some new sounds in the band and that I needed to really start learning how to play the piano for a few of the songs we’ve been working on and voilà! Here you show up!”

“Now just hold on a damn minute.” Cloud interrupted before Zack could go on any further. “Just why the hell would I agree to teach you anything? I haven’t played in a year and, even if I had, I don’t know the first thing about teaching it.”

“Aw come on, it can’t be that hard. I’ve taught guitar lessons on the side to some of the kids in the neighborhood and it was a blast!” Zack continued, undeterred by Cloud’s increasingly dismayed expression. “Plus, it’s not like I’m asking you to do it for free. I’ll definitely pay you each time, I promise!”

Cloud paused at that as he genuinely started to think it over. “…You will, huh.”

“Yeah! A little extra money every week can’t be a bad thing, right?” He leaned forward again, his earnest smile so bright that Cloud was sure he was going to be blind by the time he walked out of the bar. “So come on! Please? I promise I’ll practice every day and listen to what you tell me.”

Cloud crossed his arms, staring at Zack in disbelief as he felt himself, despite his best efforts, slowly giving in. “I’m not gonna go easy on you, you know. If you suck I’m gonna tell you.”

“I wouldn’t want you to!” He grinned with a little fist pump. “That’s the only way I’m gonna get better, right?”

Cloud sighed, now running out of arguments. “Like I said, I don’t know the first thing about teaching…” He leaned his elbow back on the bar, slumping slightly in defeat. “…Fine. Whatever. But I want my payment day of, no exceptions, all right? If you try to start a credit line with me I’m walking out.”

Zack laughed at that. “Don’t worry, I’m not that tight on funds. Besides! What kind of guy would I be if I tried to pull a fast one on a fellow musician? I’ve got honor, ya know!” 

Despite Cloud’s reluctance, Zack could have sworn he saw the smallest of smirks appear on the blonde’s lips before he looked away. “…Whatever.” Cloud paused, seeming to realize something. “You weren’t thinking of doing it here, right? I retired for a reason and I don’t want people to start snooping around and figuring out who I am like you did.” He muttered, a slight edge of bitterness to his voice.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got a piano at home!” Zack offered cheerfully. “All the people in my building are pretty used to me practicing by now so it should be fine.”

Cloud shot him another suspicious look. “Yeah? Well going over to the house of some guy I hardly know sounds like the definition of a bad idea to me.”

“Aw come on…” Zack pouted slightly. “You think I look like an ax murderer or something?”

Cloud gave Zack a long, hard stare before letting out a snort that **almost** sounded like it could have been the verge of a laugh. This, in addition to the smile he had gotten earlier, was making Zack feel very proud of himself. “I guess not.” He looked back at Zack, his eyes alight with something that Zack thought seemed like excitement, despite the stoic nature of his voice and expression. “All right, so when’s the first lesson?”

“As soon as possible!” Zack replied excitedly. “I got work during the day most of the week and then performances here a couple nights a week but, uh…let’s see…” He paused as he went over the schedule in his head. “I gotta cover Wedge’s shift tonight and then—Okay, I got it! How about tomorrow night?”

Cloud shrugged, more successful at looking impassive by this point. “Whatever.”

“Great! Then…” He reached into his pocket to pull out a pen and began to scribble on one of the bar napkins. “Here’s my address and my phone number.” He handed the napkin to a very stunned looking Cloud. “There!”

Cloud slowly looked between him and the napkin then took it with a sigh as he pulled out his phone. “You could have just texted me your address, you know…”

“Oh yeah…” Zack let out an embarrassed laugh and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry about that, I just got too excited.” 

“Hey, Zack, come on we gotta get warmed up!” Came a call from the stage. 

Zack whirled his head around. “Right, be there in a sec!” He jumped up from the barstool, feeling even more lighthearted than before. “All right I gotta go get ready…but! I’ll see you tomorrow!” He offered Cloud a bright smile before giving him a friendly clap on the shoulder. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Zack said those last words with such a gentle earnestness that Cloud found himself flushing despite himself and looked away. “Yeah…” He replied awkwardly. 

“Text me when you get there, okay? Or if you get lost, too!” Before Cloud could snap back with a sarcastic comment, Zack was giving him a friendly wave and heading up to join his bandmates. 

And, as the sound of them tuning up together filled the room, Cloud was left wondering what the hell had just happened.

_Well…_ He thought as he watched Zack tune his guitar, laughing and chatting excitedly with the other band members. _He’ll probably get bored after a few lessons. Plus, at least it’s a good way to make some extra money._

It’s not a big deal, he told himself. But despite that he found it very difficult to fall asleep that night as his mind wandered to thoughts of Zack’s excitement and the gentle happiness he exuded as he played. 

The next day, Cloud found himself wandering through the seemingly unending, winding streets of the slums. He was quite a few train stops away from where he lived and, to his dismay, quite a distance away from the bar as well. He couldn’t help but wonder how Zack managed to make the trip back and forth multiple times a week, most times after spending the day working a grueling construction job. Just how was he still able to play with such energy? 

Doing his best to ignore the suspicious glances he got from the residents, Cloud checked the address in his phone one more time before heading into one of the many shabby-looking apartment buildings. Even if Zack looked more like a lost puppy than an ax murderer, he still felt a twinge of discomfort as he closed the building’s door behind him.

_Maybe this was a bad idea after all…_ Cloud thought as he scaled two floors of of a grimy looking stair well and towards what he presumed was Zack’s apartment door. He could hear the sound of a door slowly opening then quickly shutting again behind him and his feeling of unease only grew.

“This is so stupid…” Cloud muttered, directed both at himself and the situation, before hesitantly knocking at the door. He shifted uncomfortably as he heard nothing but silence on the other end and, as he briefly considered calling Zack’s number to confirm whether he was even on the right side of town or not, the door suddenly swung open and Cloud had to dodge out of the way to avoid being smacked. 

“Cloud! Hey, you made it!” Zack cheered, apparently oblivious to the near accident. “I was starting to get worried you got lost or something. But hey, you’re here! Come in, come in.” He held open the door for Cloud who, after fixing him with an incredulous stare, accepted the invitation with a sigh. 

He had expected the inside of Zack’s apartment to be as dingy as the outside of the building but, to his surprise, it was anything but. Although it wasn’t anything fancier than a small studio, there were plants all around; organized by size with some hanging off hooks on the wall, some on tables and others placed carefully along the ground and windowsills. The only thing that seemed a little haphazard was the multiple instruments in the apartment: ranging from a small, slightly run-down upright piano to multiple acoustic and electric guitars leaning against the wall in addition to the few smaller percussion instruments leaning against the kitchen table and his bed. 

There were also stacks upon stacks of music sheets and books scattered into piles. By the pencil laying next to the music sheets on the table and the fresh scribbles, Cloud could tell that Zack must have been working on a song when Cloud had arrived. He tried to prevent himself from being too obvious as he tried to take a peek at it from his position a few feet away.

“Sorry, I kinda had to organize stuff before you came over…Most of the time I kind of have a lot of my music books lying around.” He grinned sheepishly then glanced to the still-silent Cloud in curiosity. “…What?”

Cloud shook his head, rousing himself out of his thoughts. “…Nothing. Just didn’t really take you for a plant guy, I guess.”

“Really?” Zack put his hands on his hips with a laugh and Cloud couldn’t help but notice how he seemed to put his entire body into his expressions, making them all the more contagious. “Aerith got me into it! I really used to suck at keeping ‘em but she showed me all the ways to keep them alive and thrive. I think they really help to liven up the place, you know? Even if I’m stuck in the city doesn’t mean I have to stare at nothing but concrete all day.”

Cloud hummed vaguely in response then turned to look at Zack’s piano. His fingers twitched unconsciously as he stared at the keys and he quickly shoved them into his pockets to hide the fact that they had stared to tremble just slightly. 

“Not bad, huh? I managed to get this baby from a neighbor that was moving out for pretty cheap.” Zack grinned and patted the top of the piano affectionately. “I even got one of my buddies to tune it too.” He looked to Cloud. “Not as fancy as the pianos you were playing before but it works, right?”

Cloud rolled his eyes with a slight shrug. “Not like I’m gonna be the one that’s playing it.”

“Heh, guess so…” Zack pulled out the bench a little before sitting down then looked to Cloud expectantly. “Well, you’re not gonna stand this entire time, right?”

Cloud’s eyes widened slightly. “Wait, hold on—” He looked around the apartment again, feeling his heart rate starting to rise as he realized, besides Zack’s bed and the bench in front of the piano, there wasn’t anything else to sit on. “Are you seriously telling me you don’t have any chairs?”

Zack shrugged good naturedly. “Well when I moved to Midgar last year I didn’t have any furniture so I’ve kinda had to collect and buy as I go.” He laughed. “I mean, it took me two months to find a bed for cheap so I was on the floor that whole time. Definitely not very good for the back, wouldn’t recommend it.”

Cloud stared at him in disbelief. “But you managed to find plants and all of these instruments first?”

“Yeah, duh! It’s all about the priorities, you know? I can sit on my floor or the bed to play guitar so chairs are kind of a luxury at this point.”

Cloud, realizing that he was running out of options to stall, sighed in resignation and took a seat next to Zack on the bench, doing his best to ignore the heat starting to rise to his face. “All right, whatever. Let’s just get started, already.”

Zack smiled brightly in response then placed his hands on the keys. “All right, so—”

“Stop right there.” Cloud interrupted. “You’re holding your fingers wrong…your elbows too. You’re tensing your wrists and your hand so much that you’re gonna hurt yourself if you play like that for too long.”

“E-Eh!? Really?” Zack stared at Cloud, eyes widened in earnest surprise. “How should I do it, then?”

Without thinking, Cloud set his hands on the keys to demonstrate. “Here, like this. You have to keep your wrist loose, see?” He played a simple chord before freezing, staring at his hands in shock. 

He had been so focused on showing Zack how to play that he had placed his hands on the keys, something he hadn’t done for a year. Not since…

“Oh, I see…” Zack, oblivious to the torrent of thoughts swirling through Cloud’s mind, set his hand on the keys again. When his fingers accidentally brushed against Cloud’s, the blonde’s eyes widened before he quickly put his hands back in his lap. “Like this?” He looked at Cloud curiously.

“Y…Yeah.” Cloud quickly looked away, trying to get his racing heartbeat under control. “That’s better.”

Zack brightened in response to Cloud’s words and Cloud was reminded of a puppy being praised. The thought made him smile slightly, even as Zack blundered his way through trying to coordinate his hands in a simple scale. 

“Jeeze, synchronizing two hands like this is harder than it looks.” He pouted slightly. “My hand’s cramping up too.”

“Well there’s a reason you have to keep your wrist loose. The muscles in your hands aren’t built up yet so you have to do scales and warm ups first before you start playing right.” Cloud replied flatly. 

“Warm ups, huh…” Zack sighed lightly and rubbed the back of his head in frustration. “Man I just wanna get to the playing, already!”

Cloud shook his head. “One step at a time.” He paused then, once again, moved to place his hands on the keyboard. “Here, like this—”

Just like that, Cloud found that Zack learned much better the less he tried to explain and the more he showed. He clenched and unclenched his fingers anxiously as he worked to rid his hands of the obnoxious stiffness in his joints and as he tried to block out the excited smiles that Zack would give him each time his fingers touched the keys. 

Before he knew it, the hour he had set aside had passed in the blink of an eye and Zack was walking him to the door. “Thank you so much, Cloud! This really helped, I’m already feeling way more confident than before!” He held his fist to his chest for emphasis, grinning happily. “Same time next week, okay?”

“Sure. Just make sure to practice, Zack. I’ll be able to tell if you haven’t.” He replied, trying to rid his voice of any of the excitement that he was actually feeling. Just as he moved to walk through the threshold, Zack grabbed his arm, causing Cloud to visibly flinch.

“Wait, wait! Didn’t you forget something?” Zack pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and began to fumble through it. “Let’s see, I counted it before you came so—Aha, there you go! All accounted for.” He reached over to open Cloud’s clenched fist and placed the stack of gil in it. “Thanks for the lesson, Cloud.” He said, smiling so sweetly that Cloud felt his chest ache, not helped by the way that Zack kept his hand on top of Cloud’s for a moment more than Cloud thought really necessary. 

“…Right.” Cloud turned again, shoving his hand and the money he had nearly forgotten in his pocket. “See you, Zack.” He sped up as he walked away, trying to swallow down the tightness in his throat, his hands clenching and unclenching in his pockets. 

Now it would be even harder for him to make the weak argument against himself that he was only doing this for the money when he had nearly walked out the door without it. And now it was even harder to deny how much he was looking forward to their next lesion, especially with the tingle of Zack’s name still on his tongue. 

The week passed quickly and Cloud found himself, once again, sitting by Zack’s side. 

“…Well I’ll be damned.” He looked from Zack’s hands to his face. “You really did practice.”

“Wha—Of course I did!” Zack protested. “You didn’t think I was going to!?”

“Maybe.” Cloud replied, a slight glint in his eye.

“Well…” Zack replied with a huff. “You know I may look like a scatterbrain but I’m serious when it comes to music, ya know? I really want to learn how to get better.” 

Cloud found himself staring at the instruments scattered around Zack’s apartment, noticing how each seemed to be as free of dust and scratches as could be expected. Zack had even been tuning one of his acoustic guitars when Cloud had arrived.

He paused thoughtfully. “I guess that’s true.” He looked to Zack, unable to hide the small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I guess you’re ready to graduate to learning how to play something more than scales.”

“Really? All right!” Zack pumped his fist in the air, nearly whacking Cloud in the process, who dodged him with a ‘Hey watch it!’.

“Ah, sorry, sorry…”He grinned sheepishly. “But, I was wondering…” He trailed off, looking slightly embarrassed. 

Cloud tilted his head slightly. “What?”

“It’d kinda help if you could, uh…play it first?” He tilted his head slightly, giving Cloud a crooked smile that he found absolutely adorable. “I can read music okay but it really helps me to hear it first, ya know?”

Cloud tensed. It was one thing to play scales in front of him but…

“…You play better by ear, huh.”

“Yup! Always have, for some reason.”

Cloud paused again. He felt the ticking of the seconds go by, the silence dragging on as he stared at his hands then at the keys again. 

“…It’s not gon na sound very good.” He spoke just as Zack opened his mouth to try and break the awkward tension. “You can’t just stop playing for a year and expect—”

“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Zack waved off his concerns. “I’m not judging, seriously! It’s just the two of us in here, not like you’re in a concert hall or something.” He tilted his head with a smile. “Right?”

As Cloud stared into Zack’s eyes, into the open kindness of his expression, he felt the pounding of his heart start to slow and the slightly trembling of his hands begin to subside. “I…” He swallowed and quickly looked back at the keyboard as he set his hands on it once again. “…Fine. Just…just this once.”

It was fumbling, at first, the simple melody that he played for Zack. But as he went on he found it easier and easier and, once he had finished, realized he had played the entirety of the piece without stopping, without freezing up. 

Cloud stared at his hands in shocked silence, only to be brought out of it a few moments later by Zack’s boisterous voice. “That was great, Cloud!” He smiled happily. “I think I can get the hang of it now…Here, lemme see.”

He barely gave Cloud time to move his hands away before he set his on the keys and, slowly began to play the same melody. It was awkward and clunky at first but, just as Zack had said, he did seem to learn better playing by ear. 

“Hold on, Zack. That part’s more like—” Without thinking, Cloud moved his hands back on the keys, brushing against Zack’s as he demonstrated the passage again. 

“Oh, I see…Like this?” Zack repeated Cloud’s movements, more accurately this time. 

Cloud, realizing that he was uncomfortably close to Zack again, flushed as he tried to move back into his personal space. “I…yeah. Like that.”

The lesson went by like that, with Cloud playing first to demonstrate corrections, followed by Zack dutifully repeating the music back. He was learning quickly and, despite how much he tried to deny it, he found himself smiling to himself more and more as they went on, an easy-going give and take of music. 

When Cloud left, Zack had to remind him to take his payment again. 

A few weeks went by with Cloud still watching Avalanche’s performances at Seventh Heaven after work and meeting with Zack once a week for lessons. Despite his initial intentions, Cloud felt himself being dragged into Zack’s easy-going rhythm and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to pull himself free.

“Hey, Cloud…I was wondering…” 

Zack had started as he poured a glass of soda out for him. Before Cloud had realized, he had started making a habit of staying over at Zack’s for an hour, sometimes two, after their lessons. 

“Yeah?” Cloud took the offered glass, wondering why Zack was starting to look nervous. 

“Well, me and the guys; the band, I mean…Well we ended up moving one of our practice days to today and I was wondering…”

Cloud felt his heart sink. “You need to cancel the lessons?”

“W-What! Oh hell no, of course not! I made sure it wasn’t the same time, don’t worry!” He flailed slightly before tapping the table nervously. “But uh, I was wondering if you’d wanna…come? You know, see us rehearse? And no pressure, if you wanted to play too well…that’d be great!” He added with a winning smile. 

Every ounce of reason in Cloud’s mind told him to say ‘No’ as soon as possible but, the moment he opened his mouth, instead what came out was:

“Sure.”

And Zack was smiling so brightly in response that he knew he couldn’t take it back, as much as he wanted to.


	3. Improv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud + the Avalanche trio always means at least a little bit of chaos.

“Just how far are we going?”

Cloud had been sitting next to Zack in the train car for more than a few stops and with each one it was getting more and more crowded with passengers. Cloud crossed his arms, shifting uncomfortably as he began to lose more of his coveted personal space, not helped by the unwieldy guitar case that Zack had strapped on his back.

“Sorry, I probably should’ve warned you.” Zack smiled apologetically. “We practice at Jessie’s parents’ place and they live in one of the nicer districts topside. It’s just a few stops after this though, don’t worry.” He nudged Cloud with his elbow. “You get claustrophobic or something?”

Cloud huffed and glanced to the side defensively. “Not really.”

“Heh, well I wouldn’t blame you if you did—Ah! Sorry, here ya go…” Cloud glanced up to see what Zack’s exclamation was directed at and saw him standing up from his seat, making room for an older looking man with a cane to take his seat instead. 

“Thank you…” The old man practically collapsed into the seat with an exhausted sigh as Zack shifted a few feet away to hold onto the handrail. Cloud watched him for a moment before standing up as well, shifting in between passengers to grab the handrail next to his, causing Zack to shoot him a curious look. 

“…What?” Cloud kept his gaze pointedly fixed at the car window. “I have no idea where the hell we’re getting off. Last thing I want is to be stuck in the middle of the city with no idea where I am.”

Zack merely smiled in response, letting the silence go in for a few minutes before tapping Cloud on the shoulder just as the train slowed down. “This is the stop, come on.”

Cloud frowned lightly before following after him, feeling with each step he took that this was a terrible idea and he should just turn around and go back home. But any resistance faded each time Zack looked at him with that stupid, unassuming smile. “Heh, to be honest we’re pretty lucky that Jessie’s parents are as nice as they are. They even let us put a bunch of soundproof foam in their basement so we can record down there without bothering too many people. Believe me, we tried to practice at my place and Biggs’ too—” He laughed. “It didn’t take long for the cops to show up banging on our door for like twenty noise complaints at once. I guess it’s one thing for just me to be strumming on my guitar but when you throw in the drums and another guitar too, that was probably pushing it too far.”

Zack continued chatting away with Cloud shifting between paying attention and not as he looked around the neighborhood, taking in the quiet cleanliness of the streets and the houses; a far cry from Zacks’ living situation in the slums. 

“All right, here we are!” Zack stopped in front of one of the larger houses with a dramatic swoop of his arms. “And we actually made it on time, hell yeah!”

Cloud blinked up at the house. “What do her parents do, anyway? Can’t be easy to afford someplace like this…”

“They both work for Shinra Electric…both are pretty high up the food chain there, I think.” He paused, giving Cloud an apprehensive look. “But don’t mention it too much to Jessie, okay? She’s already kind of sensitive about it.”

Cloud shrugged. “It’s not my business anyway.”

“Heh, guess not.” Instead of going straight through the front door, Zack led Cloud around the back to the basement entrance and, after a quick knock, let himself in only to be greeted by three different voices at once. 

“Well look who decided to show up!”

“Zack, you’re already ten minutes late!”

“We were starting to get kind of worried you got stuck at the station. Again.”

Cloud took a step back, overwhelmed by the sudden cacophony of noise while Zack took it in stride, laughing as he walked over the threshold. “What? I coulda sworn I was on time…Didn’t we say 5:30?”

He rubbed the back of his neck as a girl with a high ponytail nearly jumped in his face, finger pointing. “No, we said 5:15 at the **latest** to try and miss all the after work, crowds” She put her hand on her hips. “Jeeze, you think you would learn after—” She stopped herself as she finally took notice of Cloud, who was doing his best to stand as far back as possible behind Zack’s taller frame. “Huh? You’re…” Her eyes widened in surprise before her face broke out into a bright smile. “Hey, if it isn’t the oh-so-famous Mr. Retired Pianist himself…So Zack really did convince you to come!”

Already feeling overwhelmed, Cloud could only get out a “What—” before Zack’s other two bandmates swooped right behind her, all staring at Cloud in excitement. 

“Really!? Holy crap! I can’t believe it, an actual professional musician in our studio…” The larger of the two exclaimed, looking as if he was about to vibrate apart with excitement. 

“So you’re really giving Zack piano lessons huh…Well I gotta hand it to you, he at least sounds like he can play now—” The other added with a lighthearted smile. 

“We watched all your performances online and they were amazing! Really, bro, I just gotta—”

Just as Cloud felt tempted to open the door behind him and escape as soon as he could, Zack held up his hands in a placating motion. “Hey, hey, hey, everybody cool it! Cloud’s not here for you guys to stare at like some kinda sideshow attraction! Jeeze…” He shook his head with a sigh as the rest of them took a few steps back, giving Cloud a little more space 

“Sorry about that…Didn’t mean to get too in your business there.” The man with brown hair offered a friendly smile. “Name’s Biggs, by the way.”

The darker haired man practically jumped up in enthusiasm. “And I’m Wedge! I guess you’ve already seen some of our shows at the bar but I play the drums…” He rubbed the back of his head. “Well as best I can, anyway.”

“And I’m Jessie!” The ponytailed girl beamed. “Resident audiophile, producer, manager and overall jack of all trades when it comes to Avalanche.” She gestured to herself. “I’m the one that makes sure things run smoothly in addition to being in charge of anything and everything recording-related.” 

Cloud shifted in place awkwardly and glanced to the side. “Right…”

“But seriously, when Zack told us you were giving him lessons I almost couldn’t believe it…He really couldn’t have lucked out harder with getting a teacher.” Biggs grinned with a rub of his nose. “But anyway, welcome to Avalanche Recording and Practicing HQ. I’m sure our studio isn’t much compared to what you’re used to seeing but it works for us.”

“Hey, I worked hard getting this place set up, you know!” Jessie snapped, causing Biggs to visibly flinch away with an apologetic smile. “I think it looks just fine!”

“Right, sorry, sorry…” He soothed.

“Seems like everyone knew about me for a while, huh…” Cloud said, giving Zack a very pointed glare. 

“Eheh…” Zack laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry, I couldn’t really help it.”

“Yeah, plus it’s really easy to find your videos online!” Wedge added. “You’re really amazing, you know…oh! But if you’re here, does that mean you’re gonna treat us to a performance? That would be so cool—”

“Not happening.” Cloud interrupted coldly. “I think we’ve gone over this already but I’m **retired**. I’m not here to put on a show.”

Wedge visibly deflated and Zack immediately jumped in to break the tension. “Come on, you guys knew that already, right? I just said I was bringing Cloud over to watch if he wanted, not so you guys can fanboy all over him.” He looked to Cloud, offering a smile. “Sorry about that, they’re just excited…You can sit over there, though. Go on and make yourself comfortable.” He gestured to the cozy looking couch in front of the instruments.

Placated, but still a mixture of nervous and annoyed, Cloud shrugged with a “Whatever” and moved to sit down, though he still felt the tension coursing through his body. To distract himself from the glances he was getting from Biggs and Wedge as they set up, he took a look at his surroundings: The basement was small enough that the couch and small coffee table seemed squeezed in between all the wires, recording equipment and soundproof foam everywhere. It was a tight fit but, to give them credit, they still managed to fit the drum set, guitars and a small electric keyboard in the corner. 

Slowly, Cloud began to relax as he took in the familiar sight of Zack and the rest of Avalanche getting set up though it was strange seeing it up so close and personal after having watched them for weeks at the bar. He could see things a bit better being closer and he found his eyes drifting over to Zack more often than not as they got tuned up. Of course, he definitely wasn’t looking at the way Zack’s shirt hiked up slightly, revealing just the hint of skin as he adjusted the guitar strap around his neck and he **definitely** wasn’t taking notice of the way that his eyes would crinkle slightly at the corners as he smiled…Zack was always smiling for some reason, even when talking with Biggs about their set for their next show. 

Why was that? How did he manage to always look so happy and smile so much without it coming off as disingenuous?

“Enjoying the view?” Jessie hopped onto the couch, startling Cloud out of his thoughts as she sat next to him without so much as a thought to his personal space. “I’ve got to say, it’s definitely good to have a looker like that for a front man, does wonders for advertisement!” She flipped open a small laptop and Cloud wondered if it was only a matter of time before it was going to go crashing to the ground with the way that she kept bouncing her legs and swaying back and forth as she talked. 

Cloud shifted uncomfortably, trying to get at least a few inches of his personal space back but Jessie seemed unwilling to relent. “Just what the hell are you going on about?”

“Oh come on, you know a guy like Zack has got to attract a lot of groupies, right?” She grinned, a slyness behind it that only seemed to increase as Cloud felt himself flushing. He wanted to blame his rising discomfort and irritation on her continuing to lean closer to him but when he started thinking about girls hanging all over Zack, flirting with him he felt so…annoyed…

He quickly shook his head, frowning even deeper as the annoyance at himself and the situation grew. Why the hell should he care? It’s natural that a guy like Zack probably had girls throwing themselves at him at every opportunity. So why did he suddenly get this sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he started to think about it?

“Aw come on now, don’t make that face!” Jessie cooed, giving him a small pat on the shoulder before grabbing his forearm with a smile that was getting increasingly cat-like. “I’m sure you had plenty of secret admirers when you were still performing! Who can resist the sensitive artist type, am I right?”

Cloud looked away with a roll of his eyes. “Give me a break…”

“Even I felt my heart go into palpitations watching you play!” She leaned back, clenching her chest for dramatic effect. “Ah, I just could feel myself falling further and further…” Cloud raised an eyebrow at her, staring in silence before she snapped back towards him, hugging his arm even tighter. “Psych!” She stuck out her tongue with a wink. 

Before Cloud could reply with something sarcastic, both he and Jessie flinched in tandem as Zack hit the completely wrong chord and sent the practice to a screeching halt. 

“Ow, my eardrums…!” Wedge moaned. 

“What the hell, Zack?” Biggs looked over in disbelief, rubbing his ears. 

“Ah…heh, sorry.” Zack replied, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “I lost focus for a second. Maybe we should take a break for a bit, yeah?”

Before Cloud could wonder too much about what had caused the sudden outburst, Jessie had detached herself from him and had gone over to chat with Biggs about recording equipment while Zack was passing around cans of soda. He even offered Cloud one, who took it with a quiet “Thanks”. 

“You doing okay? Not too bored, are you?” Zack asked good-naturedly but Cloud could sense an underlying unease that he felt a need to immediately put an end to.

“I’m not. If I was, I’d have left already.” He replied as neutrally as he could muster, though couldn’t hide the small smile that slipped out when Zack brightened in response. 

“Great! I’m glad…” Zack smiled brightly then paused to fidget with the half-empty soda can. “I’ve actually wanted to invite you to one of our practices for a while but I kept getting worried you’d say no and that’d be the end of it.” 

Cloud looked at him curiously. “The end of it? What do you mean by—”

Before Cloud could finish his thought, however, Biggs was doing his best to round up Avalanche into starting practice again and Zack gave him an apologetic smile before taking his place back at his guitar. Cloud decided to put the question out of his mind and, for now, was grateful that Jessie seemed too preoccupied with trying to fix one of their speakers to come and invade his personal space again. 

Even so, as practice wrapped up for the day and Cloud excused himself, the way that the three of them crowded at the edge of the door to wave good-bye filled him with an unfamiliar, but comforting, sensation. 

“Bye, bye now! Don’t get too distracted on your way back to the station.” Jessie grinned. “And watch out for pick pockets!”

“I gotta stay here for a bit to do some recording tune-ups…You gonna be okay heading back by yourself?” Zack questioned.

Cloud huffed slightly. “I think I can handle walking a few blocks in the dark.”

“Heh, right, right…”

“We’re having practice same time this weekend. You’re welcome to come by then too, if you want, Cloud.” Biggs offered. 

“Yeah, we’d love to have you back! Even if it’s just one person, practicing in front of an audience kind of pumps me up!” Wedge pumped his fist for emphasis. 

“I’ll…see what I can do.” Cloud glanced away, trying to avoid looking directly at Zack’s hopeful expression. “No promises if I’ve got other stuff…planned.” He added quickly. Even if he was trying to avoid it, however, he glanced out of the corner of his eye to catch Zack grinning along with the rest of Avalanche, their happy expressions managing to fill him with anticipation despite his intentions. And even though he knew the way, he took Zack up on his offer to meet before their next practice so that they could ride the train together. 

He should have known, however, that once he began to get more comfortable that would give the trio of Jessie, Biggs and Wedge just the wiggle room they needed to push him a little further. And it was during a break between sets that Wedge, of all people, breached the subject as he scooted his stool a little closer to where Cloud was sitting on the couch.

“Hey bro, I know that you said you didn’t have any interest in doing it but, well…” He smiled nervously, losing track of his words as he did.

Having just accepted the ‘bro’ title at this point, Cloud looked at him impatiently. “What is it?”

“Well it’s just that…I’ve been listening to a bunch of your performances lately and it would really, really just be way too awesome to hear you live in the flesh!” He shifted towards him eagerly. “What do you say?”

The atmosphere in the room shifted and suddenly all other conversation stopped as Cloud stared at Wedge with widened eyes. His heart pounding, he tried to swallow around the large lump that suddenly was closing in his throat.

Zack immediately tried to jump in and break the tension. “Hey, c’mon now Wedge, he already said he wouldn’t do it, all right?”

“That’s right.” Biggs suddenly interrupted, stepping forward and away from his conversation with Jessie. He gave Cloud a pointed look, then crossed his arms and smirked lightly. “He’s been retired a while, right? He probably can’t really play anymore, after all.”

“Hey, Biggs—!”

As Zack tried to turn and reprimand his friend, Cloud felt a rush of anger and stubbornness that instantly pushed all feelings of dread and hesitation out of his body. He stood up and stared right back at Biggs, glaring determinedly.

“I can play.” He snapped in response, which only caused Biggs to break into a wide grin.

“Let’s see it then.” He said with a gesture towards the keyboard.

_Is he trying to bait me?_ Cloud wondered to himself. But it was too late to back down now and he practically stomped over to the electric keyboard in the corner and sat down with a huff. 

A moment’s hesitation was all it took before he put his hands on the keys and, with a quick glance over at Zack, played the first thing that popped into his head: A short but melodic piece. One that he couldn’t forget even if he tried…one of the first pieces he had ever learned.

In that moment he was transported out of the dingy basement and back to another time, back to his childhood home; sitting at the piano, his mother next to him, patiently showing him how to place his hands, how to best touch the keys, how—

“That was great, bro!”

The room broke out into applause and Cloud jolted as he was shocked back into reality. 

“Well, he definitely makes that keyboard sound like a real instrument.” Jessie said with a whistle.

“So you do still have it, huh?” Biggs laughed. “Guess that shows me.” He added without the least bit of disappointment.

Zack, meanwhile, was staring at Cloud in reverent awe. His smile was so bright and genuine that Cloud had to look down, unable to hide his own small, slightly embarrassed smile. 

“Well now that you’ve proven it…How about playing with us a little too?” Biggs stood up and clapped his shoulder encouragingly, causing Cloud to jolt forward towards the keys from the force of it.

“Oh yeah, that’d be great! A real jam session, huh?!” Wedge practically jumped over to grab his drumsticks enthusiastically. “Let’s do it!”

“I—” Cloud looked between them, then at Zack, who was staring at him with a mixture of excitement and hesitation. Even though he seemed to be trying to control himself, Cloud didn’t miss the way that he was starting to reach for his guitar. 

“It’s no pressure or anything but uh, if you wanna Cloud…”

Cloud looked back down at his hands, feeling the now comforting weight of the keys underneath them. 

“I mean…I’ve never really…” He started, feeling the argument start to fade immediately when Zack, unable to hide his excitement any longer, jumped in to interrupt.

“Nah, don’t worry about it, there’s nothin’ to it! All you need is a rhythm—” He gestured at Wedge, who grinned and counted into a quick but easy to follow pace. “Then you just give me some chords and we’ll turn it into a little something.” He smiled encouragingly and Cloud couldn’t help but relax at the sight. “Go ahead, Cloud!”

Heart pounding now, Cloud closed his eyes and allowed himself to take in the rhythm; to let himself focus on the music and nothing else. 

Hesitantly, he played a chord and Zack immediately jumped in, riffing off of it playfully. “That’s it, Cloud! Keep going!” He grinned and Cloud felt the heavy weight of indecision in his fingers start to disappear and his pulse speed up at the encouragement.

He played a few more chords, more confidently this time, and Zack responded in turn. Biggs and Wedge exchanged quick, excited, looks before Wedge joined in as well. Soon Cloud was entirely lost in the feeling, the call and response of the music and eventually felt confident enough to do a bit of solo improvisation himself, which encouraged Zack to play even more enthusiastically in response.

Had playing ever felt like this before? Cloud couldn’t remember the last time it had felt so relaxed, so free of weight of expectation; free to make mistakes and to just _be_.

It had been almost a half hour when Wedge finally called for a time out so he could get ready to get to his next shift at work. Cloud felt exhausted, and as he stretched his slightly trembling hands, he winced softly at the ache of his underused muscles. But it also felt…good. More than good, if he was being honest with himself. 

“That was great, bro! We gotta do that more often, seriously, see ya next time!” Wedge gave a happy wave as he headed out the door, practically slamming it behind him in his excitement.

“Yeah, we totally felt in synch.” Biggs grinned at Cloud. “You felt it too, right?”

“Yeah. It was…” Cloud trailed off, looking at his hands. “…Fun.” He finished quietly, struggling to finish his sentence against the heavy wave of embarrassment that was overtaking him. This wasn’t helped by the enthusiastic laugh Zack let out immediately after and he opened his mouth to retort, thinking Zack was trying to make fun of him, but immediately shut up the second he saw Zack’s happy smile, and the way that he was practically rocking from side to side in pure, unbridled excitement.

“I know, right? It was really fun, right?! And it sounded so great, Cloud, you really sounded like you’ve been doing jam sessions forever! You seriously gotta play with us next time too!” 

Still embarrassed but now equally pleased, Cloud looked to the side with a small, shy smile. “I’ll see…what I can do.” He paused for a moment then quickly got to his feet when he caught a glimpse of the time on the clock on the wall. “Ah…shit. I actually need to go too, need to clock in on time before they dock my pay.”

With a wave from Biggs and Jessie and a “See you later, Cloud!” from Zack, Cloud was out the door. In the few seconds of silence that followed, Jessie and Biggs exchanged looks before setting on a blissfully unaware Zack. 

“Well…?” Biggs started and Zack looked in between the two in confusion.

“Well what? What are you staring at me like that for— Especially you, Jessie!” He leaned away from her. “Whenever you smile at me like that it gets me nervous.”

“Aw, little old me?” Jessie feigned a hurt look. “So mean, Zack…All I was going to say is that I haven’t seen you this happy after a jam session since, well ever, actually!” She smirked, wasting no time in going for the kill as she leaned into Zack’s space again. “We were just wondering if it had something to do with our resident Mr. Hot-Blonde-And-Talented playing with you?”

Zack flushed and, knowing immediately that he had been found out, quickly tried to hide it with a pout as he looked to the side. “Aw come on, don’t start with that! I’m just happy that Cloud seemed to be enjoying playing again, that’s all!”

Biggs crossed his arms, obviously not convinced. “That’s all, huh?”

Zack nodded emphatically. “Right. That’s all. He’s my friend and I’m glad he had a good time! Is that so hard to believe?”

Biggs and Jessie exchanged brief looks, much to Zack’s chagrin, before Jessie whipped out her phone and dangled it in front of Zack. “Well, I guess you won’t be interested in seeing some of some of the **gorgeous** videos and pictures I got of him playing then, huh?”

Zack immediately leapt up to reach for the phone, which Jessie pulled away just in time for him to miss at it. “Wha-Hey! I wanna see!”

“Ohhhh so this **is** some precious merch, huh? Well you can have them if you want…for a price!”

“Jessie, give me a freaking—…Okay how much.”

“200 gil each”

“Aw come on!! That’s just plain extortion…50!”

“100!”

Biggs let out an exasperated sigh, though couldn’t help but smile in amusement at the back and forth, until finally Jessie had sent Zack the photos for a mere 80 gil each. “Just friends, huh…” He muttered to himself, watching as Zack scrolled through the pictures, stopping on the one that had Cloud smiling faintly to himself as he played. 

“You’re way too obvious for your own good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even if it's months between updates, I appreciate everyone taking the time to read. Thank you for your patience!


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